


Inner Child

by Shatterpath



Series: Pyramid [18]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Birthday Party, F/F, Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, unrelenting fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-02
Updated: 2018-07-02
Packaged: 2019-06-01 11:02:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15141680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shatterpath/pseuds/Shatterpath
Summary: This might be the first plot 'against' her that Lena actively enjoys. After a lifetime of hating her birthday, the gang gives her a day to remember. Besides, they have to see the old Hudson building off with a party, as the renovation is ready to begin.Takes place on January 17.





	Inner Child

**Author's Note:**

> This is the fastest story I've written in a long time! Feels good to get the ol' mojo going again. There are a few larger plot-points hidden in the birthday shenanigans, mostly in context to the building. Enjoy!

Blinking and yawning, Lena awoke to brassy winter sunshine and an empty bed.

She wasn't completely certain she was relieved or disappointed.

Lena pretty much hated her birthday. Just one more nugget of information for people to have about her, one more failure of her family to celebrate her accomplishments, one more year of what used to feel like nothing but regrets and failures.

But this year was different. 

This year was so very different.

Right on cue, there was a soft tap on the door. "Come in," she called out, expecting Bug and happy to see that smiling little face. 

After a very long and stressful weekend of moving, the gang had helped get Alex and Tilly settled in yesterday. It was real now. They were all living together now.

It had surprised both moms when Tilly had announced that she was fine sleeping on her own in her room off the kitchen. But the condo was her territory now, her home until their place in the Hudson was completed. And she was with her family. With them at her back, Matilda could do anything.

That the unexpected privacy had let the exhausted moms snuggle and fool around and sleep skin to skin was a benefit both relished.

Leaping onto the bed, the child threw herself down beside Lena and giggled as she was hugged and kissed.

"Auntie Lucy is here and she's inna mood."

The utter mischief in Tilly reminded Lena so strongly of Alex it made her heart ache pleasurably. 

"You run interference for me and I'll get my robe and sneak out."

"'Kay!"

Taking a moment to use the restroom and wash up a bit, Lena bound back her hair loosely and climbed into a warm robe that shouldn't show anything off. The moment she appeared at the end of the hall, every eye snapped over. Winn was there too, he and Lucy hanging out at the peninsula that separated the kitchen from the rest of the airy condo. Leaving off her coffee, Lucy drew herself up imperiously and announced to the airy space, "I am declaring today the second annual--"

"Semi-monthly," Winn interrupted and received a glare.

"Shush, minion, I'm monologuing!" Lucy ranted. "The semi-sorta-maybe-kinda monthly meeting of the Sans Serial Spawn Club." Motoring over anyone else trying to speak, Lucy swept across the room dramatically and grabbed Lena by the robe-- nearly giving Winn and eyeful he didn't really need-- and began pushing her back the way she'd just come. "And for that, I require a day of high-femme girlie shopping and a fancy lunch, which I have already booked. You, get your ass dressed fine and comfy."

"This sounds more like a spa day."

"Spa day, club meeting, whatever!"

Already halfway back to the master bedroom, Lena finally found her voice, cursing the timid curiosity there. "But why today?"

Lucy eyed her pal like she'd lost her mind, then shrugged. "Because I have the day off. Tomorrow too! And I want to just forget about DEO black uniforms and thinking too hard about saving the world and all that crap. I want to be irresponsible with my credit cards, eat like a pig, shop til my feet hurt and then drink and dance later at some overpriced club. As I can conceivably overbear you into everything but the late night, I demand you acquiesce!"

"That's a big word there, Lucifer."

"Get!"

No indicator of birthday shenanigans and once again Lena was torn between relief and disappointment as the bedroom door slammed behind her.

"You have fifteen minutes!" Lucy bellowed through the wood. "Then I send in Winn. I'll do it too!"

Unable to resist, Lena grabbed a pair of outrageously tacky, but oh-so comfy track pants and the ugliest running shoes she owned. Yanking on one of Alex's threadbare 'Midvale Sharks' t-shirts, she slouched back out to the living room and sighed dramatically. "Fine."

There was a moment of silence where Lucy just glared flatly at the gold star spangled red fleece and the others started snerking. When Lucy grinned like a cartoon supervillain, Lena started backing away.

"If you really want to, I can drag you out dressed like that."

Lena was gone like a shot.

Once Lena appeared dressed chic and casual, Alex refused to let Lucy drag her away before she could get in a nice long hug and hand over a travel mug of good coffee.

"You guys have fun today."

"You're sure you two will be okay?"

Smiling sweetly, Alex kissed away Lena's worries, careful to not muss her simple makeup. "Love, we'll be fine. A quiet day of getting settled in and some semi-healthy takeout sounds like fun, right Bug?"

"Yay! C'n we get grilled cheese?"

Sharing an amused, long-suffering smirk with her lover, Alex called back, "of course we can."

As promised, Lena was dragged to a whirlwind of a day split between the boutiques of Rodeo Drive and some funky hole-in-the-wall vintage shops scattered about National City. They trooped through several eateries, snacking on gelato, delicate savory egg custards and the fancy cousin of the infamously wonderful and terrible Bagel Bites. 

Winn gamely held his own, clearly fascinated with the whole process, and even shrugged and plopped himself down for a mani-pedi alongside his friends. They laughed and sassed and just didn't give a damn about the day outside of having a good time.

It was wonderful.

They finally came to an exhausted rest at a place with fancy Belgian fries and a platter of little slider burgers they had decimated between the three of them.

"It's too bad Kara couldn't come," Lena mused as she eyed the final small sandwich that was the mate of the one that had been so spicy even Lucy couldn't manage it. Where she was slouched into her seat and tapping away at her phone, Lucy snorted rudely.

"Kara fucked off on packing and even being speedy will only help her so much."

"It's my birthday," Lena found herself blurting out to her horror. Winn paused mid-chew and Lucy merely looked at her flatly.

"We know."

Somehow, Lena was still faintly surprised. "But how?"

"Alex said something about a motorcycle license?"

Baffled by the clue, Lena thought back until it hit her. The day she'd gotten her motorcycle license and driven the Monster out to West Hollywood to shop with the sisters. Of course Alex has noted the date printed out on the DMV form.

"The idiot adores you and wanted to make sure you had a nice, fun day of low stress and no worries. And yes, I really do have a few days off, so I didn't lie."

Winn just laughed. "I just like hanging out with you two and feeling normal, so this is all gravy for me."

Finishing up with her phone, Lucy made a satisfied noise and tossed it back into her purse to focus on her pal. "So, now that the cat's out of the bag, how does some good drink and some cake and ice cream with your friends and family sound?"

Any trepidation Lena felt evaporated in the face of their smiles, which she found herself returning. "That sounds wonderful."

It was still early afternoon and before rush hour would gridlock the city, so the trio managed to get back to the Hudson with minimal hassle and slip into the parking spot Lucy had already threatened the constructions crews into leaving accessible to her. With Maggie continuing to live on the premises, it was a necessity. 

Just two days ago a gargantuan 5th wheel travel trailer had been delivered and carefully wiggled into the large room where they had celebrated Christmas. The original deck had been dismantled and recycled back into the renovation supplies or set aside in neat stacks. With the help of two forklifts and some chain, the RV has been positioned, put up on sturdy jacks, and the crews had built a huge deck at the level of its doors to pretty much quadruple the living space. They'd even built a large enclosed area and installed a really nice bathroom and plenty of dowels for hanging clothes. With the enormous windows unboarded and covered with panels of white cloth for privacy, it was a nice space, if not weird and unconventional. 

Maggie had been happy to give up her matchbox apartment and nest in where there was plenty of room for four. Lucy knew it was only a matter of time before she did the same.

It was eerie to walk the building now, with all life but Kara drained out of it. 

Up on the fourth floor, apartments D and E stood open, furnishings gone, lights off, sunlight from the enormous industrial windows only amplifying the emptiness. Lena slowed and stepped in to look around the space. After a moment, Winn and Lucy retraced their steps to join her.

"Seeing some of these other units really drives home just how overdue this refit is, huh?"

The floors were old and cracked, the cabinetry relics not worth even salvage, the walls dull. And, frankly, it didn't smell great.

"Well overdue," Lucy agreed distastefully and then gently coaxed her pal back to the central hall. "Now come on. You're not saying goodbye to the old girl."

Finally, they made it to Kara's familiar door, which was thrown open before anyone could knock. There was their over-excited Kryptonian, grinning like a fool.

"Surprise!" she squealed and wrapped crushing arms around all three of them. Once they'd squeaked from being compressed, she swept them into the apartment where nearly everyone Lena knew in all of National City awaited her.

"Happy birthday," chorused out from the gang, not at all in sync and Reba appeared to hand out glasses and set a bottle of champagne in Kara's hands.

"It's five o'clock somewhere, right?"

They'd hung streamers; cheap, crinkly purple paper that sparkled with glitter. The lights were low and there was a twirling light machine that slowly threw constellations and shooting stars over the contours of the apartment. The table was decorated with little paper plates and cups in a space-travel theme with some pink Barbie thrown in for jarring contrast. There were containers of crayons and cheap markers and enormous swaths of brown craft paper adorning the table and every stretch of wall and window where the stuff could be taped down. There was even a piece on the floor!

There were stuffed animals and stacks of board games, bottles of soda and bowls of chips, a bundle of helium balloons and an honest-to-Abe dollhouse set up by the television. Where Star Wars was playing quietly, just to stick to the theme.

"Wow," Lena marveled as the cork popped beneath Kara's steel grip and champagne was doled out. A little overwhelmed, she drained the glass, ever so grateful it was up to her standards. Cheesy streamers she could handle. Crappy champagne she could not.

With a refill came a cheesy paper-cone hat with a colorful swirl of galaxy on it and a tacky tiara with 'Birthday Girl' worked into its shape.

And the party was officially on.

With a round of well-wishes and hugs and a bit of a chat, it took Lena nearly twenty minutes and two glasses of champagne before she could drop herself in Alex's lap for her favorite hug in the whole world.

"Oh, Tiger, this is amazing! What made you do this?"

Alex stroked back loose tendrils of that mahogany-dark hair and smiled sweetly. She got it, she really did, even if she didn't like it in her sensitive, scarred love. The loving attention from the gang around them still felt foreign sometimes.

"Because I love you and your smile lights up my life, of course," Alex flattered gently. "And I noticed you looked a little wistful at some of my mom's stories about me as a kid. No one should ever completely outgrow some childish fun. So we ran with it."

Lena gripped her close, curling her whole body close, and sniffled happily into her shoulder. "I love you so much."

After a nice, long cling and coaxed by a glass of her favorite Italian red, Lena went and looked over the decorations, particularly enamored of the little drawings and well-wishes on the sheets of craft paper. James offered a strong arm for Bug to perch on so that she and her mommy could draw side by side for a few minutes.

Grampa J'onn arriving at his stern-faced, cross armed best interrupted them. The paper cone hat on his head had Lena fighting down giggles.

"Miss Luthor," he intoned very somberly, M'gann looking exasperated where she stepped in beside him. "It has come to our attention that it is the anniversary of your birth."

"Yes sir," she tried to say somberly, but her voice trembled with mirth and maybe a hint of more tears. Dropping the serious act, J'onn shocked Lena by gathering her into a warm hug.

"Happy birthday."

The Martians got in the first gift, J'onn taking a largish, brightly wrapped gift from M'gann's arms to set on the crowded table where Lena could tear the gift free. Her efforts were a little prissy at first, because the paper was cute, but the others goaded her into gleefully tearing it to shreds. For a moment, she was puzzled, then burst out laughing.

"It's a marshmallow roaster!"

M'gann then offered a gift bag that contained a box of graham crackers and a handful of chocolate bars as well as more marshmallows. Both aliens got a hug for that.

Kara gently herded her bestie and Bug to Alex where she and Maggie were hanging out on the rental couches from Christmas that would finally be returned in the morning. Grinning, Alex swung her right leg up onto the couch so that Lena could settle in her lap and eye the pile of presents.

Beneath wrapping paper so fluorescently hot pink as to be eye-aching --and marked 'from Sister Chaos' and a kiss print Lena suspected was real-- was a comically tiny little toy oven that had the rest of the gang cracking up. Lena's smile was bemused and Lucy set her drink aside to lean over and tap the pink device.

"It cooks tiny little cakes with a hot lightbulb. Classic kids stuff. Badass One there insisted we stick to the Christmas theme of no serious gifts. And this kid's birthday party idea was a ton of fun."

Lena couldn't remember ever feeling so weepy while so happy.

Susan and Kyra provided a kit of a silly tiara, wand and fairy wings. They were too small for Lena, but Bug happily confiscated the wings and flounced about. There was an etch-a-sketch from James and a beautiful stuffed giraffe from Jess so soft that Lena had trouble setting it aside. From Winn came a little robot BB8 droid that whizzed about on its round body at the behest of a remote control.

Maggie smirked slyly as Lena eyed the white t-shirt emblazoned with the U-Haul logo. "To match the cheap toaster."

The only gift that got a better laugh than that one was Eliza's box of socks that left the gang in stitches and Lena utterly baffled. She stood to move closer and drop a kiss on Lena's head. "Socks are the most classic of mom gifts."

That time she did cry for real.

Sandy got a laugh for a foot-tall Tyrannosaurus Rex wearing a Jurassic Park t-shirt that Reba provided an equal-sized King Kong for a proper monster battle. Carter handed over a box of lavishly decorated sugar cookies in fun childish shapes that were a big hit with the whole gang.

Wiping at cookie crumbs on her lips, Lena smiled at her best friend, her guide to this wonderful new life. "You look like you're about to pop."

"Well yeah! Me and Alex got the best gift!"

With a quick blur of super-speed, a box big enough to cram most of the others into appeared on the table.

"Careful, it's heavy."

Alex just smiled mysteriously at her girlfriend's curiosity and gestured at the box. "all yours, babe."

While she worked at the box, Lena couldn't resist teasing Kara. "How did you manage to keep your mouth shut about all of this?"

Kara's long-suffering sigh was almost lost in the chuckles. "They didn't tell me, the brats! And Gran took away my phone and forbade me to leave the apartment unless there was a Supergirl emergency."

For a moment Lena paused at the sheer audacity of this group before she burst out laughing.

Once exposed, Lena was baffled at the sturdy box that reams of printer paper came in.

"It's not paper, silly! Open it!"

Kara was nearly vibrating with excitement and Lena jumped when a wicked foldout blade appeared next to her in Alex's hand. It made short work of the packing tape and the lid came free. Inside was a plastic bag, its neck twisted shut around a colorful payload. It wasn't until Lena peeled back the plastic that she realized what the box was full of.

"Oh! They're Lego! My god, there must be thousands of them!"

Carefully jamming both hands into the sharp-cornered bricks and shapes, she lifted out a great scoop of them and let them sift back down with a clatter.

"A fun toy for my hot engineer," Alex flattered and met Lena halfway for a kiss.

Bug squirmed in to peer into the box thoughtfully. "I remember these. We'd get to use them in the lab sometimes. I liked them."

"Then that makes them even more special," Lena said and brought Tilly into a hug with her and Alex. "You can help me build whatever comes into our heads."

"That sounds like fun! Oh, there is one more from Sam and Ruby. They called on Mama's phone earlier and said they wished they could be here but that we will have a nice lunch and some playtime when they finish moving."

"That sounds wonderful. An extra present worth waiting for."

Sam and Ruby had sent along a box with a very sweet and silly card atop handfuls of funny candy atop stacks of Barbie clothes ensembles in their blister packs. 

"That's your cue, kiddo," Alex encouraged gently and Bug lit up and raced off to the kitchen where the twins were being mysterious with Reba. Sighing gustily, Lena sagged into Alex for pets and to let some of the rush of the evening settle into her heart and mind.

"I love you," Alex murmured and relished the way Lena squeezed more tightly to her at the words. "And so do they, the whole chaotic, noisy pack of them."

Full of love and wine, Lena just wept a little and clung like a limpet. She was settled again and ready to start kissing at Alex's neck when the gang started in on the classic, 'Happy Birthday to You'.

The enormous half-sheet cake cradled in the twin's arms made her burst into wet giggles. It was decorated in swirls of color like a galaxy and populated with an entire army of Star Wars figures and little people and pets from the girlie-pink aisle at any big box store, as well as some colorful little equines with cartoon symbols stamped on their flanks. On little stilts stood a small, round cake covered in decadent chocolate that held a pair of Barbies up to their knees in chocolate that guarded a single little candle. Lena's giggling boiled over into a full-bellied laugh at the spectacle.

One was impeccably dressed for the corporate rat race, including what looked like real gold jewelry, her black hair up in a neat bun. Hand in hand with her was Agent Barbie in black, brown hair tinged red and cut into a neat bob. Someone --Winn by his smug grin-- had even rigged up the distinctive gun belt.

"Eat the chocolate first," Reba told the group as they hurriedly cleared the low table in the middle of the couches. "It's an ice cream cake."

Themed paper plates appeared with plastic forks and Ro handed a spatula to Lena to dig into the chocolate cake. Between two layers of dark sponge was a thick slab of vanilla ice cream that made her light up with delight. She was perfectly happy to hand off serving duty to Kara so that she could sag into Alex and eat. They murmured over the tasty treat shared between them and a curious Bug. Alex ignored crumbs tumbling onto her neck and chest and kissed away more from Lena's flushed face.

Bolstered with cake and ice cream, the gang descended on the huge sheets of craft paper to go nuts.

Abruptly, Lucy's voice raised above the babble. "You go ask Miss Dramatic 'I'm almost thirty' over there."

"Fuck off, Lane!" Alex yelled and those sharp green eyes zipped over before Lucy was stalking over.

"Since when is twenty-seven 'almost thirty'?"

"Dramatic!" Maggie chimed in with a devious grin and Alex just glared at them both. Satisfied with her teasing, Lucy turned back the way she'd come and bellowed loud enough it was a good thing the building was empty of tenants.

"How old are you turning anyway, my sister in chaos? Baby Danvers has been irritatingly closed mouth about that."

"Um," Lena hedged and shot an imploring look to the sisters before shrugging in resignation. "Oh fine. Thirty one."

"Sugar Mama Luthor! Does this make you a cougar?"

"Oh my god you demon woman," Maggie broke in, trying not to laugh. "You can't talk, you're almost thirty-four, old lady."

"That's major old lady to you, asshole!"

Shaking her head, Alex ignored the giggling and canoodling when Maggie yanked Lucy down beside her to be shut up for a few moments. But there was no rest for Alex as Susan couldn't resist teasing. "Awww! Action Danvers is the actual baby of the group."

"No! Winn is!"

"He's a boy, they never grow up!"

If Reba or Kyra wondered why Kara hadn't gotten dragged into the verbal warfare, they didn't ask. Nothing about this gang would shock them.

Something occurred to Alex as she watched her girls gamely throwing themselves into the endless chaos of the night.

They had no idea what they were doing. Yet, they did their best to play along, mimicking the friends and family around them, even when hopelessly confused.

When had Lena or Tilly ever drunk cheap punch of 7-Up and ginger ale poured over orange sherbet? When had they ever used a set of fabric pens to draw on a teddy bear made of white denim? When had they ever eaten ice cream cake?

So many ordinary experiences were novel to them and all they could do was trust the others to guide them through it all.

Watching Lena throw herself into the confusing shenanigans was proof that she was all in. For family, for motherhood, for love. It would so easy for this group to take advantage of her, emotional armor stripped bare. But they had taken to her like a found family should. In the simple acts of accepting her, including her, the gang had taught her to love every bit as much as Kara and Alex.

When Tilly brought a handful of markers over to Maggie, Lucy kept her mouth shut and stayed sprawled out across her living mattress.

"Auntie Maggie, I can't chose a color. What is your fav'rite?"

"Well, that's a very pretty green." With a grin, the child bounced back to the table and Maggie called after her, "pink goes good with green!" Lena beamed at her and shuffled about the detritus on the table to come up with a bright pink.

That friendship didn't make sense, and yet… it did. There was no need for jealousy, so Lena simply wasn't. And Maggie was likeable, and honest and only teased when it didn't hurt anyone. Mostly, she was just helpful and nice. Not to mention corralling the hellion. Though watching Lucy yawn and snuggle in made her seem deceptively harmless.

With much friendly yelling and laughter and one-upmanship, a crazy sci-fi battle scene emerged across Kara's window. It was pure silliness and the way Lena gazed at in adoration was sweet.

"I'm keeping this," she announced matter-of-factly. "I might even get it framed, because I love it."

Satisfied with her announcement, she tottered over to Alex to collapse on her for cuddles. Unsurprisingly, Kara and Bug joined her, smothering Alex with their over-warm puppy pile. It went like that every twenty minutes to an hour, their being drawn to Alex's solidity and calm to recharge and then wade back into the fray.

For dinner, Kara changed into her alter ego and flew off to return after twenty minutes with the former Lego box crammed with McDonald's food. She was giggling so hard over her encounter with the local fast food workers that she had almost crashed into the taller building around the corner.

"Oh, are you guys gonna be sick as dogs tomorrow," Alex teased fondly and Bug looked alarmed. "Not you, kiddo, just the crazy drunks."

"I don' unnerstand drinking," Bug said, her words getting slurred with a tiredness she was gamely fighting. With her dinner only half eaten, she didn't need more than open arms to persuade her to sprawl out on Alex.

"It's a temporary reprieve to being an adult," Alex said softly and Tilly scoffed.

"That's dumb."

The gang just chuckled as she slipped away to sleep.

As had happened at Christmas. Bug's falling asleep was a signal to the others to wind down. They sprawled out on the couches in various states of drunkenness and simply enjoyed one another's company. When Lena, Lucy and Kara got particularly wound up and wanted to dance, they almost disturbed the slumbering child, but managed to keep it to a dull roar.

With eyes bright and smile wide, Lena was luminously beautiful and Alex was so in love with her she ached with it. Never able to resist that openly adoring regard, Lena was drawn to her, hand extended invitingly.

"Would you join me on the roof for a dance, Tiger?"

"I'd love nothing better."

They grabbed their coats and scurried out with false sneakiness, ignoring the knowing chuckles in their wake. Up the battered concrete steps and through the beat up old steel door lay the night. 

In the darkness, surrounded by the noise and life of their city, Alex swept her lover into her arms and they circled around with only their quiet laughter as music.

"This is the last time we'll get to do this. Just like this."

"True. This roof will no longer be a roof, but a proper penthouse."

"Think we'll be able to move the dancing to the new roof?"

"Absolutely! We'll be sure to design in a big hardscape quad for just that. We can center it over the elevator housing over there, since its roof will be the new roofline. And I swear I remember Maggie whining that she missed yoga? The roof will be a great spot for that."

"Love it."

Held close to Alex's lanky body, Lena's only warning to incoming shenanigans was a soft sound of amusement. Alex's voice was completely neutral, almost deadpan. 

"Y'know, I ordered a beautiful replica of that Gulfstream G550 that we flew in to get to Hawaii. Just to commemorate the occasion."

Spluttering with laughter, Lena leaned back to study her love's face. "You didn't!"

"Oh, yes ma'am I did," she replied with mock gravitas and Lena had to play along.

"Well, I suppose I'm grateful in a way that it didn't arrive yet."

"Oh?"

"I've always wondered if Susan and Kyra didn't at least suspect what you were doing, naughty Tiger."

It had been too long since Lena had seen that arrogant, smug look and she could feel tears well up from the relieved joy. Being so hurt, losing her hand, all of it had rattled Alex's sense of self to her core. But she was too strong, too stubborn to stay down and Lena hoped that Alex could see her admiration in her expression.

"When it arrives, we'll have to celebrate in fine fashion like we couldn't do as comfortably on that plane."

"I like the way you think."

They fell into quiet once more, feet shuffling around on the ragged tarpaper and grit. To Lena's utter delight, Alex's soft humming took on a distinctive tune, her lovely singing voice taking over as she got into it. Something about all the ways a person could die, but the chorus stood out to her.

_The odds are that we will probably be alright  
Odds are we gonna be alright, odds are we gonna be alright tonight_

"I like that," she whispered, not wanting the singing to stop, but unable to resist sharing her thoughts. "The odds finally being in our favor."

"It does feel that way, right? Like we were just killing time until we came together and balanced something out?"

"Agreed. You were worth the wait, my love."

"Oh Lena, you too."

After a brief, heartfelt kiss, Lena smiled again. "Would you take dancing lessons with me?"

Clearly taken aback, but curious, Alex queried, "dancing lessons?"

"Like ballroom dancing. You're so naturally graceful and it's far more leg than arm work, so you could keep healing with no stress. I love being in your arms, and it would be a nice weekly date. Maybe even twice a week if you find you like it?"

Yes, Lena knew she was cajoling, bordering on begging, but Alex didn't mind, her smile bright, even in the dimness. "With a sales pitch like that? Sign me up. I'd love to learn to dance properly with you, Lee."

She grunted at the crushing hug Lena doled out and nuzzled the dark hair.

"I'm glad you found out my birthday, Tiger."

"Me too, love. Me too."

**Author's Note:**

> This song has remained on my various playlists since we learned of canon-Alex's love of Barenaked Ladies. I went and poked through their discography and was 'meh' about the whole thing. Until this one. It's perfect for my scarred rarepair.  
> Odds Are  
> Barenaked Ladies  
> Struck by lightning, sounds pretty frightening  
> But you know the chances are so small  
> Stuck by a bee sting, nothing but a B-thing  
> Better chance you’re gonna bite it at the mall  
> But it’s a twenty-three four-to-one  
> That you can fall in love by the end of this song  
> So get up, get up  
> Tell the bookie put a bet on “not a damn thing will go wrong”  
> The odds are that we will probably be alright  
> Odds are we gonna be alright, odds are we gonna be alright tonight  
> The odds are that we will probably be alright  
> Odds are we gonna be alright, odds are we gonna be alright for another night  
> Hit by the A-Train, crashed in an airplane  
> I wouldn’t recommend either one  
> Killed by a Great White or a meteorite  
> I guess there ain’t no way to go that’s fun  
> But somewhere in the world someone is gonna fall in love by the end of this song  
> So get up, get up  
> No it’s never gonna let up so you might as well sing along  
> The odds are that we will probably be alright  
> Odds are we gonna be alright, odds are we gonna be alright tonight  
> The odds are that we will probably be alright  
> Odds are we gonna be alright, odds are we gonna be alright for another night  
> Sure things go wrong, but I’ll take my chances  
> Odds are long, so why not play?
> 
>  
> 
> (The usual IM silliness)  
> theillogicalthinker: I love the toaster joke. Kara already made the uhaul joke  
> Shatterpath: -snort- Lena should get a U-Haul t-shirt, but I don't think anyone is at the point where they could do that, y'know?  
> theillogicalthinker: Maybe Lucy would. They bonded  
> Shatterpath: true. OH! HER BIRTHDAY  
> theillogicalthinker: YES
> 
> Shatterpath: seriously, the weird Maggie & Lena brotp cracks me the hell up, ESPECIALLY because of my pairing! i love it because Lena just has no clue of the unspoken 'rules' of how to be social and connect with others. She is like 90% taking her cues from this insane bunch. Bug will do the same. I wonder when someone will figure that out...  
> Her brain is saying, "so I know I should be weird about Maggie, but she's nice. That makes us friends... right? Okay, so I'll try my best!"  
> theillogicalthinker: Lena is just as all in as Alex  
> Shatterpath: AMEN. and I made an observation ages ago in our chats about how EASY it would be for this group to take horrible advantage of Lena. She has no defenses to them in her emotional armor, she's stripped bare. There's a bunch of scenes where that's quite clear in this whole saga. some little part of Lena recognizes that, but the childish NEED for them outweighs it  
> theillogicalthinker: ALL THE NEEDY  
> Shatterpath: it's never JUST been Alex, or Kara, that have helped her heal so fast. the whole gang eyed her up, accepted the sister's nod and just whole-hog included her. that one act did at LEAST as much for her as the Danvers duo loving her.


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